In a world of encroaching darkness and carnal hunger, a deadly sin awakens…

Bound to a legacy he cannot escape, Riley is a demon unlike any other. With each passing century, his soul grows darker until the seductive trouble-magnet, Saia Sen-Grayson, stumbles into his path and throws his entire world off kilter. But danger has a way of finding him and destroying anything worthwhile in his life.

The biggest challenge in Saia’s life is evading her matchmaking socialite mother. Then she crashes into the sexiest man in her aunt’s building. One look into his striking green eyes and her fleeing days skid to a halt, except she gets more than she bargains in the sexy, tattooed bartender.

And neither can deny the burning attraction between them.

When his tainted past closes in on him, Riley’s forced to make the toughest decision ever to keep her safe. Then Saia’s hauled by a deadly adversary into his dark and treacherous world of Stygia—a place of old betrayals. Now Riley must face his past and accept his future in order to save the woman who belongs to him. And nothing will stop him from claiming her, least of all Saia herself.

But danger comes in many forms and the one least expected might be the sin that seals their fates once and for all…

Riley snagged a shot glass and filled the ordered green poison. With Satire’s jam-packed from the rush of tourists, it was the only thing nailing his feet to the floor from an all out fight. And this one was brave enough to sit in his bar and eyeball him for the past hour.

In this world, his kind tended to blend in with mortals and usually kept below the radar for a simpler life. But not this asshole. He had no idea he was dancing with death right now.

Already on edge, his body wound too tight as restlessness clawed at his psyche, Riley sent the absinthe sliding toward the demon down the counter. The male grabbed the thing and tossed it back like water.

The demon’s human girlfriend leaned against his arm and peered at Riley beneath her lashes. He met her sultry stare as he readied a line of shooters for a noisy trio of college kids.

Oh, yeah, his looks and badass rep were the perfect draw, got him the females. So easy to accept her invite but he wasn't interested in a quick backroom bang.

He was in need of something violent. Bloody.

A dark haze stole into his mind, knowing his damn past would never leave him alone. His fingers clenched. A loud shatter, and glass rained onto the scoured wooden counter. Blood and vodka ran over his hand, drenching the crystal fragments.

“Rile-man, you okay there?”

A six foot two hulking tattooed male with a buzz cut, appeared at his side. Zacarias. His friend, manager and sometimes bouncer.

A terse nod. He looked up from his bleeding hand, his gaze colliding with those of his watcher.

Anger unleashed, he scaled the counter in movements too fast for human eyes and was across the floor in seconds. Grabbing the dark-haired demon by his shirt, Riley shoved him against the red brick wall. “Why the fuck are you on my ass again? Do you want to die?”

All the demon guards hounding him in recent months were seriously pissing him off. No matter how many he sent back to the Dark Realm wounded or dead, more just took their place.

This idiot didn't even try to fight back. His gaze grew languid, his smile seductive. “No. But I know what I do want,” he purred, walking his fingertips up Riley’s chest.

The haze turned red. Riley slammed his fist into the demon’s gut. The male squeaked in pain. Startled gasps erupted from the customers. Before he could get in another shot, someone grabbed his arm and yanked him off the cowering demon, who hurriedly slunk away.

“What the hell’s wrong with you?” Zac snapped. “You want to draw notice, you’re sure going about it the right way. So the guy came on to you, it never drove you homicidal before.”

Riley elbowed Zac off. Not a guard—not a damn guard! He’d hit an innocent demon—one of those docile Otium demons who’d escaped the tyranny of the Dark Realm for a better life here. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

Breathing hard, Riley walked out of the bar and into the crowded street, the familiar reek of seafood enclosing him. Avoiding the noisy tourists and drunks loitering about, he cut through the back alleys in the French Quarter, rife with the stench of decaying waste, and headed for his apartment several blocks away.

Unable to expend the rage roiling inside him, he pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and made a call. A female answered.

“See you in ten.” He rang off.

Pandora was one of the few humans who knew what he was. She didn't want the ties either, just some fun time, and she was the perfect submissive when he needed that edge. Tonight, he was definitely in the mood for something darker.

The sounds of a roaring V8 engine split the silence, a blood-red Corvette Stingray came to a squealing halt in front of his building, the acrid burn of rubber stinking up the night air.

He scowled. “Damn maniacal drivers!”

The door flung open. A petite, but curvy female jumped out and flipped back yards of wavy, inky-black hair, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her face. Her tan skin revealing her mixed-race ethnicity, her lush mouth flattened in a tight line.

Cursing, she kicked the tire then pressed her cell phone back to her ear. “I swear, Zayn, if you tell Mother you spoke to me, I will personally call all your girlfriends and tell them they aren’t the one…” She laughed evilly. The light, raspy sound grazed his senses with an unexpected sensuality, and had him slowing to a halt in the shadows.

“Yeah, that’s me, spawned from the devil, but Daddy wouldn’t appreciate the comparison…” She listened then snorted, impatiently pushing back her heavy fall of hair. “Liz loves me like her own. Stop complaining and tell Mother you haven’t seen me because I'm not coming to another boring party… Who?— Why would I care if Piers is back in town, he’s your friend…”

She marched alongside her car, hip-bumped the door closed as she listened, the streetlight casting a soft glow over her irate features. “Yes-yes, I'm always careful…” Despite her tart response, she cut a quick look around.

Riley stilled as her dark gaze skimmed past him then darted back to the spot where he allowed his form to blend in with the shadowy trees, the cover of night his camouflage. A frown marred her smooth brow.

She sensed him? How, he had no idea. Obviously, all her senses were in working order.

The faint reek of decaying swamp and sulfur drifted to him. Riley narrowed his gaze. They weren’t alone. And this little human probably couldn’t smell the bile-inducing stench of evil—had no idea how close to danger she truly was.

He willed her to get back in her car and leave. She did nothing of the sort. Instead, she popped the trunk, tugged out a large suitcase, and dumped it on the sidewalk. Then she sat on the thing and continued her call as if basking in the Maldives.

Un-flippin-believable!

Him, she sensed, but the evil drawing closer just flowed over her pretty little head.

For hell’s sake, did she not get a whiff of the damn stink?

***

EXCERPT 2 (R)

Saia pushed back her damp hair and tried to comb through the tangles with her fingers when boot steps sounded in the other room.

Her gaze darted to the entrance.

With a quick smile, Ikaria hurried off, abandoning her. Of course, she’d see this as exciting.

A tall, dark figure filled the doorway of the bathroom. Then he stepped into the light.

Christ, she still had to get used to Riley looking this way.

Too big, too handsome. Too…dangerous.

He didn’t say a word. Or look at her.

So he was still mad? That made two of them.

Scowling, Saia watched as Riley undressed. He yanked off his boots, and they dropped with a dull thud on the floor, followed by his socks. His hands lowered to his waist. He unzipped and stripped off his pants, tossing them aside.

Saia stared, unable to tear her gaze away. Naked, he looked incredible. No longer lean. But more muscular. Bigger. Tougher. Hard ropes of corded muscle delineated his abs and flowed to lean hips…and his semi-erect sex.

She swallowed hard. Her gaze rushed to his face, but he didn't look her way. He stepped into the enormous pool of water she’d just bathed in, sat down, and soaped himself. Hypnotized, she watched his hand slide over his battered skin, across his wide shoulders, thick biceps, down his pecs and below the waterline to his…groin.

She dragged in a raspy breath.

Hair lathered, he disappeared beneath the undulating surface, reappeared, water sluicing over him. He pressed a black stone near his arm. The low ceiling above the bath opened up, and through the millions of holes, the rustling shower fell over him like rain, while the pool drained.

Finally, his gaze shifted to her. The edge of danger she’d always sensed in him was now out in spades. It honed and redefined the angles of his face, his entire bearing.

He leaned back in the bath, his arms braced on the ledge as he studied her with an assessing and very, very sensual stare.

If he thought she was just going to walk over and let him have his way…

His gaze slid from her face to linger on her breasts then moved slowly down her body. She lost her train of thought. How did he do that? With just a look, he left a trail of fire in his perusal.

“Come here, Saia.” The quiet demand had her pulse quickening.

Her fingers bunched the fabric of her dress, her feet trying to find purchase on the marble floor.

When she didn't move, he rose from the bath, a tower of bronze skin and rippling muscles, water flowing down his mouth-watering body past his erect sex.

She stopped breathing.

He strode over and swept her into his arms. Her breath escaped in a harsh rush, she clutched him around his neck. He walked down the black steps again and stepped into the inch of water remaining at the bottom of the marble bath. From the massive ceiling, the shower splattered down, drenching her within seconds. She blinked the drops from her eyes and scowled. “I'm wet.”

“And I plan to make you even wetter, before I lick every inch off you.” He regarded her with such primal hunger, heat spread through her veins like a runaway fire. He let her slide down his naked body, every hard ridge of him making her senses spin.

He ran his knuckles along her jaw. His gaze softened. “I can fuck you ten ways, Saia. But I far prefer to make love to you.”

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